Contemporary Relevance

Black Lives Matter

The Haitian revolution is the first and only slave uprising that created a free country ruled by former slaves. Not only that, but the Haitian Revolution was also the first successful struggle for black freedom in western society and is an inspiration to modern day revolutionaries trying to fight for equality and an end to racism. Even to this day, the Haitian Revolution acts as a prototype for protests and uprisings in the United States, and its effects are most notable in light of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Imagery of the Haitian flag and Haitian revolution was used during the BLM protests to relate the current struggles of black people in America to the historic struggle of black people in Haiti. BLM is inspiring Haitian artists to create art about racial justice issues in America.

New Orleans

Arguably one of the most famous cities in America is only a part of our nation due to the Haitian Revolution – New Orleans. Not only New Orleans, but all states West of the Mississippi are part of America due to the Haitian revolution. With troops and money dwindling, Napoleon brought down the remainder of his army from the Americas and sold the land to try and recoup some of his losses, leaving the territory to Jefferson. Due to New Orleans having a trading port that has been used by many countries, a melting pot of multiple cultures remains. For example, Haitian voodoo culture has been in New Orleans since Haitian people came to the city through France before the slave revolts. Over time, this morphed into a religion unique to the people of New Orleans – Voodoo-Catholicism. Voodoo altars, ceremonies, and shops can be found not only in museums there, but all over New Orleans. The French culture can also be seen as well through the large-scale celebration of Mardi-Gras, where beads, parties, and music run rife in the streets.